Fail test launch sends rocket crashing into mountainside

2026-08-19

An explosion near the village of Macaran in Pingtung sent locals into a panic early Wednesday morning, as they believed China had launched an attack. But it turns out that the projectile had actually been launched from Taiwan. The Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology was test-launching a satellite at Jiupeng Base when the rocket lost control and went crashing into a mountain. The institute has released a statement saying that the self-destruct mode was activated after an anomaly was detected in the early stage of the launch. The rocket landed within the perimeter of the base. Let’s hear more.

Resident
Macaran Village
My first thought was that China was attacking us! I was so shocked.

Pan Hsun-ho
Macaran Head
It was lucky that it didn’t fall on our town. It seems to have fallen within the grounds of the base.

Wang Pin-ching
Pingtung County Government Spokesperson
Test launches should be suspended until the cause of the incident is determined. We urge the institute to review its procedures and make any necessary adjustments.

Chen Kuan-ting
Legislator (DPP)
Accidents happen, be it in tests by the NCSIST or other research organizations. The important thing is to not let these incidents halt training or drills. They should be used to learn and improve.

Chung Chia-pin
Legislator (DPP)
There are military exercises and artillery drills constantly being held at the base. It would be better to provide locals with some form of insurance coverage so that they can claim compensation if their property gets damaged.

No injuries have been reported, though the sight of the rocket hurtling straight into the mountainous area was quite alarming. As test launches become more routine, finding a balance between these activities and the safety of nearby residents will be an important issue that the military has to address.

#rocket #rocketlaunch #fail #jiupeng #taiwan #pingtung

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中科院衛星運載火箭測試失控火箭墜落無人財損失

2026-08-19

中科院九鵬基地，今天清晨進行衛星運載火箭測試，但才升空不久，就突然失控，迅速墜落在山區，巨大聲響，嚇壞附近住戶。隨後中科院也緊急發聲明表示，因為發射後，初期軌道出現異常，才會緊急啟動自毀機制，強調運載火箭的墜落點，都在安全管制範圍內。

[[旭海村民]]
“我第一個印象，是想說以為中共打過來了，因為太震撼了”

[[旭海村長潘勳鶴]]
“幸好是沒有(墜)落在部落啦，觀察也是應該在，掉在基地的裡面啦”

[[屏東縣政府發言人王品晴]]
“未查明事故的原因前，應該要暫停試射，也請中科院重新檢視，發射的作業程序以及修正方向”

[[立委(民) 陳冠廷]]
“中科院也好，或者是我們的各個研發單位，有些時候會有意外事故，重要不是就不去訓練、不去演練，而是從這些事故裡面得到的這一個經驗，然後盡快的來去做修正”

[[立委(民) 鍾佳濱]]
“在這個三軍聯訓基地，目前經常有演習、有砲擊，其實適度的對地方提供一些保險的方案，避免民眾的財產損失得不到補償”

儘管沒有人員傷亡，但運載火箭直衝山區，有夠驚險，面對未來常態性的運載火箭試射，如何跟居住安全取得平衡，落實防護和保險機制，恐怕是軍方該思考的重要課題。

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民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

Zhuangwei offers scholarships for local university students

There’s only half a month left of summer vacation and many high school graduates are now preparing to enter college. Tuition fees and related expenses can be a big burden. The Zhuangwei Township Office in Yilan has stepped in to help out. It is offering scholarships of NT$10,000 for students who have been resident in the seaside township for at least a year and are admitted into a tertiary institution. The aim is to encourage them to continue studying and narrow the gap between them and their city counterparts.

With only half a month left of summer vacation, many high school and vocational school graduates are about to embark on their university life. However, university tuition fees are several times higher than those for high school and vocational school, putting immense pressure on many parents and students.

Wang
Yilan university student
Maybe I’ll spend more money at the beginning of the semester.

The Zhuangwei Township Office in Yilan recently announced a great perk: students who have been registered residents of Zhuangwei for a full year and are admitted to public or private colleges or universities nationwide will receive a scholarship of NT$10,000.

Mr. Lin
Local resident
How wonderful! We didn’t have these resources before when we wanted to go to study, especially since it’s not easy for local governments to provide them.

Hearing such good news, the older generation couldn’t hide their envy, exclaiming that they didn’t have such welfare benefits when they were in school. But where does the Zhuangwei Township Office’s scholarship fund come from? It turns out it’s from taxation savings reallocated to the community. An assessment found 180 people to be eligible.

Shen Ching-shan
Zhuangwei Township Mayor
Awarding these scholarships encourages our children to continue their studies. This is the first year of the pilot program, so in principle, we’ve budgeted around NT$1.8 million.

Zhuangwei Township is in an agricultural county, and its tax revenues were not very good in the past. However, in recent years, thanks to improvements, it not only has a tax surplus but has also become one of the top-ranked townships in Yilan County. This time, special scholarships are being issued not only to help students continue their studies but also to help them narrow the gap with their urban counterparts.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#Taiwanscholarships #Zhuangweitownship #studyperks #Taiwanwelfare #Yilanscholarships

2026-08-19

Businesses offer talisman cake, joss paper bread for Ghost Festival

Every year, the Ghost Festival generates NT$34 billion in business. Nowadays, brands aren’t just striving to have the most lavish offering table. They’re going all out with creative marketing. The furniture behemoth IKEA is selling cakes shaped like talismans, while PX Mart has pastries shaped like the Buddha’s hand and eye. Even champion baker Jay Wang is making layered toast with clearly defined sheets inspired by joss paper, all looking to cash in on this auspicious month.

Yellow talismans with red lettering to mark a safe home rest inside a glass display case. As the camera gets closer, you can tell they’re not from a temple. They’re from an oven.

Yeh Wei-hsiang
FTV reporter
Who said you can only get talismans at a temple? Brands are getting creative this Ghost Month, hoping that by eating a talisman, you can ingest its power.

Peace and safety, all packed into a dessert. Customers have been lingering by the display case, struck by the novelty.

Customer
Hasn’t tried it
No, I don’t know. I’ve never tried it. I think I would like it.

It’s like a talisman.
It’s a crepe cake? It looks like there are layers. It seems all right because of the design on top.

With Ghost Festival right around the corner, businesses are getting creative.

Incense lit. Joss paper burning. Table piled with offerings. But wait—why is he eating the joss paper? This mille-feuille toast fits right onto the altar table alongside the other offerings. The champion baker behind it shared the inspiration for his creation.

Jay Wang
Champion baker
I have a connection with traditional temple troupes, having taken part in many performances before. We burned a lot of joss paper back then. Given the environmental concerns, we hope to encourage this eco-friendly option. After praying, you can “burn” it in your stomach.

When shopping for Ghost Festival offerings, most people turn to instant noodles, canned goods, and drinks. This year, a supermarket is also selling pastries shaped like the Buddha’s hand and eye to offer a new twist for the altar table. To capture a slice of lucrative Ghost Festival sales, businesses are not only competing on scale, but also creativity.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#GhostFestival #GhostMonth #offering #josspaper #talisman #Taoism #creative

2026-08-19

Taiwan’s gymnastics team full of confidence for Asian Games

2026-08-19

Running club organizes ‘pilgrimage’ to home of Taiwan’s richest man

The rags-to-riches story of the founder of King Slide Works Lin Tsung-chi, coupled with his recent ascent to become Taiwan’s richest person, has made his childhood home and the temples he supports into Kaohsiung’s newest attractions. Visitors have been flocking to the sites in Hunei District, hopping that Lin’s good fortune would rub off on them. A local running club has even organized a "pilgrimage" that runs past the tycoon’s home and favorite temples.

Runners from a local club pose for a photo in front of an unassuming seven-story brick townhouse. It’s the childhood home of King Slide Works founder and chairman Lin Tsung-chi, who’s been all over the news since becoming Taiwan’s richest person.

The text on this promotional poster says it’s for a “Hunei Riches Pilgrimage Run.” This local running club goes out together every week. Jumping on the latest trend, this past week, they started from Weizainei Ciji Temple and ran past Guanyin Pavilion, which is frequently visited by Chairman Lin, as well as his childhood home. The 24-kilometer half marathon drew 26 participants.

Member of public
Commenting on sights
He’s Taiwan’s richest man. We visited his old home.

This home, where the King Slide founder still lives today, has become a popular destination. The nearby Guanyin Pavilion where he often prays displays a group picture with Chairman Lin near the entrance. Some visitors have traveled all the way from Tainan, hoping to absorb some of his good fortune.

Visitor
Commenting on sights
We just came to take a look. The area is wonderful! Good places produce good people.

The local borough warden said that Chairman Lin is low-key and thrifty. He’s also passionate about religion and charity, and keeps good relationships with his neighbors.

Voice of Hung Tien-mou
Dahu Borough Warden
Whenever there’s a need in the community—especially something religious—he’ll donate money to help out. He usually drives himself around and gets along great with his neighbors. We used to play golf together seven or eight years ago.

Earning the title of Taiwan’s richest person is no easy feat. Now his childhood home has become a local landmark, with even the running club designing a route around it in the hopes of soaking in some of his incredible luck.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#LinTsungchi #Taiwansrichestman #KingSlideWorks #Kaohsiung #wealth #runningclub #pilgrimage

2026-08-19

Tourists splashing water, littering spark outrage at Taitung’s ‘Sky Mirror’

The "Sky Mirror" on Huayuan Mountain in Taitung’s Taimali is popular with visitors who want to take stunning photos where the image of the sea meeting the sky is reflected in a pool. But to get better pictures, some people have been throwing rocks and trash into the pool for a ripple effect, triggering outrage, especially since it’s a privately owned storage pond that the leaseholder was kind enough to open to the public.

Visitors stand by the edge of a reflecting pool, the ocean beyond perfectly melding into the reflected sky into one continuous expanse of blue. It makes for the perfect social media photo. But recently, these scenes were also caught on camera.

To make ripples on the surface, people were spotted throwing stones into the pool and reaching in to splash the water around. One man even poured water inside and then tossed the plastic bottle on the ground. Video of the bad behavior drew ire online, as people criticized them for lacking respect and questioned who would clean up after them.

Visitor
Touring Taitung
If you leave your trash here, who do you expect to clean up after you?

Visitor
Touring Taitung
Taiwan has so many beautiful places. When people visit, they need to take good care of it so that others can enjoy it, too.

This breathtaking spot up in the mountains of Taitung’s Taimali is actually a privately owned storage pond for agriculture. But people discovered that beyond reflecting the sky, it also lines up perfectly with the blue ocean in the distance. Now dubbed the “Sky Mirror,” it’s attracted many people to come take photos. The leaseholder, a local village warden, opened the site to the public free of charge to promote local produce, but ended up having to pick up trash every day. Even after posting signs and setting out trash cans, some visitors seem not to notice.

Chang Ching-liang
Leaseholder
I spend all day over there picking up trash. People go there to smoke and throw their butts all over the place. It looks like it snowed with the cigarette butts everywhere!

After the spot went viral, the pool has even turned murky due to eutrophication, affecting the fish living inside. At one point the owner even closed it off, but now that it’s open again, some selfish visitors keep making a mess of this beautiful spot that people work so hard to maintain.

#Taitung #scenic #photospot #SkyMirror #badbehavior #traveletiquette #tourism

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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2026-08-19

20,000 winners selected in mobile phone tax filing lucky draw

2026-08-19

President Lai announces new raises for all government workers

This year’s Father’s Day may’ve been on a Saturday, but for members of the military, Aug. 8 was just one more workday in a packed schedule for the Han Kuang military exercise, which lasted 10 days. The hard work of military personnel, along with civil servants and public school teachers, will not be in vain though, as President Lai and the Executive Yuan have announced new raises for all government employees, to take effect in January next year.

President Lai Ching-te made a personal appearance at Taichung to commend members of the military, as they recently finished this year’s Han Kuang Exercise, which lasted 10 days and 9 nights. In addition to giving bonuses to his brothers-in-arms, who were part of an all-out nationwide effort, the event also gave members of the military a chance to share some Father’s Day moments.

Tung Chuan-sheng
234 Combined Arms Brigade
As a soldier, I must commit everything I have to my duties. On Father’s Day, when I had just a little bit of free time, my wife and our two children called me to wish me a happy Father’s Day. For me, that was a very touching moment, so much so that I suddenly started crying; it made all the hard work of that day’s drill seem like nothing.

Chao Pei-yu
234 Combined Arms Brigade
Our unit also made a Father’s Day video. At that time there was a lot of noise, but when the video was played everybody quieted down right away. Once somebody would see their beloved family members, including their children, appear on the screen, some of us would laugh, others had their eyes turn red, and some even shed a few tears.

On top of the recent Han Kuang Exercise, since March the military has been busy preparing to protect the country, with joint operations planning, computerized exercises, and immediate combat readiness drills all on their agenda. The most important reason for President Lai appearing at a military base was to hand out bonuses to these hard-working troops.

President Lai announced that, beginning in July, raises would be given to those that would serve on the frontlines as well as special forces and other combat forces. Those in brigade units are to receive an additional NT$4,000 a month. Conscript soldiers will also be given raises comparable to what volunteer soldiers receive. Recently the Executive Yuan announced that raises of NT$2,000 a month would be given to military personnel, civil servants, and public school teachers as well as supervisors. Furthermore, starting next January a 4% raise will be given to all those working under the government.

Lai Ching-te
President
Ever since I assumed office, going back to the Tsai Ing-wen presidential administration, this is the 5th time we’ve raised the salaries of military personnel, civil servants, and public school teachers. A more reasonable system will reward our troops for the responsibilities and risks they bear as well as the skills they possess. This will also show that our country reveres our military, and this is also an important investment in strengthening our national defense, showing that the government is the biggest supporter of you all.

The troops, public servants, and teachers have received five raises during the 10 years the DPP has been in power, and these most recent raises reflect that the ruling party is committed to both continuing to improve the pay of the military and being the biggest supporter of the troops.

#supportourtroops #military #HanKuangExercise #raises #money #payforprofessionalism

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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2026-08-19

Vision of Taiwanese robots starting to rival human eyes

Now might be a good time to get your eyes checked, because robot eyes made by Taiwanese tech companies are getting close to seeing just as well as humans can. For millennia, human eyes have been sharper than those of most animals, allowing us to easily distinguish between colors and quickly find what we’re looking for. The world is changing though, as robots at this year’s Taiwan Automation Intelligence and Robot Show have both eyes and arms with human-like capabilities.

Over at the Taiwan Automation Intelligence and Robot Show 2026, this mobile robot’s incredible eye has a 10x zoom lens that, in less than 10 seconds, can see these 3 contact lens boxes a few meters away and then spot which one has a prescription of 3.5.

Chen Cheng-lung
Chairman of Solomon
Currently, it’s the world’s only robot that can proactively observe its environment just like a human can. It knows where to focus in on so it can find objects. Most robots can only see things 1 or 2 meters away, which is kind of like a human eye struggling with near-sightedness. Our patented technology allows our robot to first see faraway things very clearly and then start moving, kind of like the expression “look before you leap.”

Along with its mechanical arm technology, Solomon’s latest product has software that enables the robot to locate a specific object within a group of dissimilar things. Its 3D camera technology can also identify and then accurately grab objects that are black, reflective, or even transparent. Also historic is the attendance for this year’s expo, with 886 companies from Taiwan and abroad taking part in this 3-day event. Many of Taiwan’s innovative products have stood out from the pack.

Boasting precision and consistency, the built-in vision technology, which is AI-powered and has 3D modeling capabilities, allows this Techman Robot machine to move wafer trays like those found at semi-conductor plants. And over here, this production line doesn’t need to stop, as the mechanical arm can both identify and detect issues in order to make sure each part has been properly installed.

Haw Chen
CEO of Techman Robot
On the other side of the strait they have some humanoid robots that can dance, but we’re focusing on tech that can do real tasks, doing some applications that are more practical in nature. So our robots don’t need to look like humans, but we’re employing similar technology in collaborative robots so that our tech can be quickly brought to life.

In the past, mounting a server onto a rack usually involved at least one hydraulic lift table and two people, but now all that’s needed is a collaborative robot, which has two robotic arms that can move loads under 100kg. At this expo in Taipei, the robots have arrived, practical applications are being introduced, and, therefore, big opportunities for business are on the horizon.

#thefutureishere #TAIROS #Taipei #robot #3D #HAL

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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2026-08-19

Fail test launch sends rocket crashing into mountainside